Velamentum
by PrincessNM
Summary: Ginny joins a mysterious order called the Velamentum. Enemies become friends and concepts she believed in are tested. In the midst of this, Ginny falls in love. But does she love a friend, or a dangerous enemy? D/G
1. Captured

A/N: This is my first D/G story, so be nice please. This story takes place soon after Ginny finishes her final year at Hogwarts. The story is compliant with OotP and down. After that, some parts of the plot remain the same, while other parts are changed or disregarded. And also note that italicized sentences are flashbacks. That is all. Please enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: _Everything in the Harry Potter franchise belongs to J.K. Rowling, not me. I do not claim credit for anything except the plot line which I have created._

A dark shroud consumed Ginny, hiding her surroundings. Even her strong will would not allow her to penetrate the dismal blackness. Hushed whispers filled the air around her. Deprived of sight as she was, Ginny's imagination ran wild, transforming the obviously human conversations to the slithers and hisses of demonic beasts preparing to lunge. Only a small part of her remained rational in this nightmare. She clung desperately to this shred of sanity, urging the hellish experience to end as quickly as possible. Ginny was in a full body bind, unable to even twitch a muscle. A spell had taken away her vision more effectively than any blindfold ever could. She was trapped; helpless... and hopeless.

With every bit of reasoning she had at her disposal, Ginny again reviewed the events leading to her capture. The assignment had appeared so simple. There was to be minimal risk, but everything had gone horribly wrong. She shuddered internally as she remembered.  
_  
With barely discernable whooshes, a swarm of wizards Apparated onto the site. For a moment, a shocked silence cloaked the night air. Then, people started screaming. A bright flash of red burst from the tip of an intruder's wand, starting a maelstrom of fire and ash. Flames enveloped the product of all their hard work._  
Ginny was unsure how long she remained in captivity that way, paralyzed and blinded. Logically, she thought it might have been about an hour. But every second seemed to drag on, stretching the wait to an infinitely long period of time.

Dismayed and frightened, Ginny helplessly watched the chaos around her. A loud blast made her ears ring. Turning, she gasped when she saw what had caused the explosion. The altar had imploded into thousands of minuscule pieces. Now the spell could never be completed. Dark figures ran haphazardly around her, but Ginny didn't attack at the risk of hurting someone who was on her side. If only she could find Harry! Then they could escape together. She wouldn't leave him here.

"Expelliarmus!" a masculine voice shouted out, and Ginny's wand flew from her hand. She started to run, but to no avail. "Petrificus Totalus!" the same voice cried out, and Ginny fell to the ground, stiff as a board. A figure approached her. She had just enough time to see a cloaked man before he muttered, "Caeco Admodum." Then, all she saw was darkness.

A strong hand clamped onto her frozen one, and she was pulled upright. A familiar squeezing sensation surrounded Ginny, and with a panic, she realized she was Disapparating with her captor. When the pressure finally released its hold on her, Ginny heard surprised whispers blossoming all around her.

Finally, the whispers around her ceased. It seemed as though her captors had come to a decision. Footsteps made their way toward Ginny as she fearfully awaited her fate. A spell was muttered by an unfamiliar voice, and suddenly, her vision returned to her. She blinked her eyes furiously, glad of this small movement that was allowed her. The first thing she saw was a tall, cloaked figure standing before her. His hood was drawn so low around his head that it was impossible to distinguish anything of his face. Next, her eyes flitted around to take in the rest of her surroundings. She was in a large room that lacked furniture and decoration. There were five other people standing in various places, all cloaked and hooded.

The man standing closest to her pointed his wand at her. "Get up," he commanded. "And don't even think of trying to escape." With a start, Ginny realized that she could once again move. The spell must have been lifted from her while she was looking around. She got up slowly and carefully, stretching her sore muscles and keeping a wary eye on the wand pointed on her. There were no windows around her, and only one door. It would be futile to try to get away. For now, Ginny would have to comply with these wizards' wishes.

The man jerked his head, gesturing for her to walk in front of him. Ginny did, and the remaining occupants of the room formed a semi-circle around the two, wands pointed firmly at Ginny. She shuddered delicately. One of the cloaked figures flicked his wand, and the solid wooden door opened soundlessly. Ginny glanced at the man behind her for direction. "Go on," he said shortly.

Three of the people exited the room before her. Following them, she stepped out of the room, only to find herself in another, furnished, room. There was an ornately carved coffee table, with plush armchairs surrounding it. Sitting in one of these was a man. "Welcome, Miss Weasley," Lucius Malfoy greeted, "to the home of the Velamentum."

Ginny gave a start at seeing him, sitting there so casually, but she tried to maintain her cool. She wouldn't look like a fool in front of this man. "You're supposed to be in Azkaban," she accused coldly.

"Yes, well, clearly I am not," he replied, sarcasm oozing from his voice. "Don't tell anyone," he added, winking conspiratorially.

Ginny blinked in shock. She couldn't think of a response. Lucius Malfoy acting... well, not friendly, but not exactly unfriendly either. What was going on? And what was that word he had mentioned? Velamentum. It was an unfamiliar term. What was he playing at?

"Miss Weasley?" a voice interrupted her thinking. She focused on Lucius. His eyes were glittering with amusement. "So sorry to intrude, but you have been staring blankly at me for quite a long time. I'm sure that you have something clever to say to me. A biting insult, or an oath to see me locked behind bars perhaps?"

Ginny flushed, feeling idiotic. She wasn't coming off as the cool, collected girl she had wanted to be. "I won't tell you anything," she blurted out.

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

Ginny berated herself. She was acting like the moron Malfoy clearly thought she was. Taking a cleansing breath, she tried again. "You're not going to get any information out of me. I won't tell you anything about Harry or the Order." She jutted her chin out stubbornly, hoping to exude an air of confidence. Inside, she was quaking. Who knew what the Death Eaters would do to her? She didn't think much of her chances for survival. But she would not betray her friends. Of that she was certain.

"Ahh," Lucius said, understanding filling his cold eyes. "You think you are here to be interrogated, yes? Well, I assure you, that is not the case at all."

"I'm surprised you left Azkaban," Ginny said suddenly, voicing an inner thought aloud.

"What?" Lucius snapped, bewildered once more. This Weasley girl was switching trains of thought so quickly, it was hard to keep up. It would be so much easier to peer inside her mind... but no. She would doubtlessly feel his presence and become even more wary. He needed her cooperation.

"Azkaban," Ginny repeated clearly. "Why did you escape?"

Lucius sneered. "Well I'm sure that compared to your hovel of a home, Azkaban must seem like a paradise, but I am used to much higher standards than damp, dirty cells."

Instead of quivering with righteous anger as he had presumed she would, Ginny just gave a vicious smile. "That's not what I meant," she bit back. "I was just saying, Azkaban must have been nice and safe. After the fiasco at the Ministry, your master can't be too pleased with you."

She felt a vindictive pleasure when his eye twitched and his scowl became more pronounced. "Oh, struck a nerve, did I? Yes, I bet you had to face a lot of... unpleasantness when you returned to him," Ginny continued victoriously.

"Foolish girl!" Lucius hissed. His neutral mask was gone, his face livid with anger. "Don't speak of things you know nothing about!" Ginny just glared at him. He took a deep breath and managed to regain control of his emotions. "And as to your question, The Dark Lord believes that I am still imprisoned."

Ginny snorted disbelievingly. "That is just ridiculous. I know you think I'm stupid, but even _you_ can't think I'm that thick."

Lucius looked at her quizzically. "I'm not quite sure I understand what you're implying."

"How can Voldemort be oblivious to your location when you're carrying out a mission for him?" Ginny asked angrily. She couldn't understand why Malfoy was telling her such a weak lie.

Lucius smirked. "And who said this has anything to do with the Dark Lord?"

Ginny just stared at him, once again stunned into silence. She finally gathered her thoughts enough to reply. "Are you trying to tell me that this whole kidnapping thing isn't an order from Voldemort?"

"That is precisely what I'm telling you. Do you remember when I told you your current location?" Lucius questioned.

"The home of the Velamentum," Ginny echoed Lucius's words. "I've never heard of it."

"No, well, you wouldn't. We're quite secretive about it."

"We?" Ginny asked suspiciously.

"The Velamentum is an order," Lucius explained. "Quite like your beloved Order of the Phoenix, actually."

"Yeah, right," Ginny said sarcastically. "Except it kidnaps people and is full of Death Eaters, right?"

"We may not be what you call _noble_, but our goals are quite similar."

"Oh, really. And what is your goal?"

"To destroy the Dark Lord."

Ginny's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed. "I don't believe you," she said flatly.

Lucius inclined his head, conceding that her suspicions were rational. "You may not believe it from me, but perhaps you'll believe it from someone else." He looked over Ginny's shoulder. She followed his line of vision. He was looking at one of the cloaked figures. Ginny had almost forgotten their existence during her heated exchange with Malfoy.

Lucius beckoned with one hand, and the figure strode past Ginny to stand at Lucius's side. He nodded, and the figure lowered her hood. The woman, underneath the hood, had short black hair and delicate features. But it was impossible for Ginny to not recognize her. "Tonks," she breathed, and then the world went black.

So, that is the first chapter. What did you think? I know a lot of it seems confusing, but I promise, everything, including the flashback, will be explained in time. Also, an explanation about the spell that takes away vision. Caeco Admodum roughly means "to make blind completely" in Latin. Please review! :)


	2. Proposition

A/N: So, here's the second chapter

A/N: So, here's the second chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Also, I'm letting everyone know now that I'm going to be gone for a week, so this is the last chapter you'll see for the following week. Other than that, please read and enjoy!

- - -

When Ginny felt the first stirrings of consciousness, she was aware of an angry voice speaking near her. "… was way too much, too soon! I mean, she was just kidnapped, Lucius! I thought we agreed I wouldn't reveal myself 'till later." With a bit of a struggle, Ginny placed the voice as being Tonks's. Deciding it would be educational to eavesdrop on the rest of the conversation, Ginny did not move and kept her eyes firmly shut.

"Well the plan had to be changed," replied the harsh voice of Lucius Malfoy. "She was obviously unstable."

"Unstable?" Tonks asked incredulously. "She has been taught from an early age that the Malfoys are enemies and that they are irrevocably tied to Voldemort! And then suddenly she's supposed to believe you're the good guys?"

"We are not the 'good guys'" Lucius snapped, sounding disgruntled. "We are just not in league with Voldemort."

Tonks snorted. "Oh face it, Lucius. You are no longer on the dark side."

"I was under the impression that you were supposed to helping me, not antagonizing me," Lucius said acidly.

Tonks snorted again. "Since when is calling you a good guy antagonizing you?" she asked with some amusement.

"Trust me," Lucius answered in a flat voice, "it is."

Ginny cracked one eye open. She was obviously in a different room, because she felt herself lying on a soft couch of some sort. Lucius was sitting on a long ottoman while Tonks paced around a small table. Neither of them noticed her.

"Is this going to work?" Lucius asked quietly. Tonks didn't reply for a long time.

"I don't know," she finally replied, matching Lucius's tone.

Lucius sighed heavily. "Is there any chance that she'll agree to it?"

"Agree to what?" Ginny asked, unable to remain quiet any longer. Lucius started, eyes widening slightly. Tonks jumped a foot in the air and knocked over a vase that was on the table. It fell on the ground and shattered.

"Whoops," she muttered, running a hand through her hair.

"Nicely done," Lucius commented dryly. "The intensity of your clumsiness never ceases to amaze me."

"Shut up," Tonks scowled. Muttering a spell under her breath, she returned the vase to the table in one piece.

Lucius's mouth twitched, almost forming a smile. Apparently bored with Tonks, he turned to Ginny. "So, eavesdropping, were you? I didn't think Gryffindors did things as sneaky as that."

"They do when they've been kidnapped," Ginny retorted.

Lucius nodded once. "Fair point."

"How are you feeling, Ginny?" Tonks asked her, sounding concerned. "You were unconscious for a few minutes." Ginny was surprised to hear that only a few minutes had passed. It seemed like much longer.

"I'm fine. Physically, that is. Tonks… what is going on?" Ginny asked in a pleading voice.

Sighing, Tonks pulled out a chair and sat down. "Alright, I'm going to explain everything to you, Ginny. But it may seem too incredible to be true. Just promise me that you'll hear me out completely before you make any judgments." Reluctantly, Ginny nodded. "Ok. So, as Lucius told you, we are part of an order called the Velamentum."

"But you're a part of the Order of the Phoenix! Are you acting as a spy for these Velamentum people?" Ginny asked furiously.

Tonks looked uncomfortable. "Well, I _have _been keeping my superiors informed about the doings of the Order. But it doesn't matter Ginny, because we really are on the same side."

"If you're on the same side, then why don't you just join the Order of the Phoenix?" Ginny questioned shrewdly.

Lucius gave a short bark of laughter. "Oh, yes. I'm sure your precious Order would **love **to have someone like me at their side."

Tonks nodded in agreement. "Lots of members of the Velamentum have… shady pasts. There is a high possibility that the Order wouldn't let them join."

Ginny shook her head vehemently. "I don't believe that. The Order would accept anyone who had proved their innocence."

Lucius rolled his eyes dramatically. Tonks smiled at her a bit sadly, but did not contradict her. "Ginny, that's not the only thing keeping us from becoming one with the Order. Ever since Dumbledore was killed, the Order has been unorganized. They've been having… difficulties."

"What Nymphadora is attempting, and failing miserably, to tell you, is that for the last two years, the idiotic Order has done far more damage than good," Lucius explained coolly.

Ginny stood up from the couch, ignoring the slight dizziness that accompanied her. "You're lying!" she exclaimed furiously. "The Order is the only thing keeping Voldemort from taking over."

Lucius gave a dark chuckle. Tonks shook her head firmly. "No, Ginny. It isn't that the Order hasn't been _trying_, but without Dumbledore to lead them, they haven't been able to accomplish anything. You must have realized that they weren't making much progress."

Now Ginny felt uncomfortable, caught between defending the Order and being completely honest. "Well… yeah, they've been having a hard time. But that's just because Voldemort has been getting so much stronger."

"That," Lucius stated, "is just a pathetic excuse. The Order of the Phoenix has failed. Not everyone realizes it yet, but they will soon. Of course, anyone with half a mind has already jumped ship. It didn't take Potter and his two minions long to come to our side."

Ginny felt the air being knocked out of her. There was a low buzzing in her ears. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were part of the Velamentum? They had abandoned the Order? And they had never even mentioned it to her?

"Lucius, that was completely tactless!" Tonks was saying angrily. "You can't just drop a bomb on her like that!" Lucius just shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. Tonks turned to Ginny. "Ginny?" she asked softly. "Are you alright?"

Ginny shook her head, softly at first, then fervently. "It can't be true," she croaked out. "Harry told me that he, Ron, and Hermione were off on a mission that Dumbledore sent them on. He said they were doing important work concerning Voldemort and that's why they couldn't help the Order."

"They _are_ doing important work concerning Voldemort," Tonks explained, "but they're doing it with the aid of the Velamentum."

"But why would they leave the Order?" Ginny asked quietly, more to herself than anyone else.

Lucius chose to explain it to her anyway. "Because they understood that the Velamentum could be much more helpful to them than the Order of the Phoenix could."

"They didn't mean to betray your trust, Ginny," Tonks added. "They were just doing what was necessary to win this war."

Ginny nodded mutely, lost in thought. But then something struck her as odd. "Hold on," she said slowly. "Harry was there tonight. He said that Ron and Hermione couldn't make it because they were in the middle of some important work, but that _he_ was available to help. If Harry's part of the Velamentum, then why wasn't he with you guys tonight?"

Tonks looked severely uncomfortable. "Well, that's because… he didn't know we were coming tonight."

"Why?" Ginny asked suspiciously. "And anyway," she added, thinking of something else, "even if he didn't know you were coming, wouldn't he have recognized someone?"

"No," Lucius answered, "because we were dressed as Death Eaters. Potter and everyone else in the Order believe you have been captured by Voldemort."

Ginny swallowed hard. "Why? Why do they have to think that? And how authentic were you in your role as Death Eaters?" she added fearfully.

"No one was killed," Tonks said soothingly. "A few people were hit with spells, but there was nothing permanent. We wanted them to think of us as Death Eaters, but we wouldn't compromise innocent lives for the sake of authenticity."

Ginny nodded, slightly relieved. "But that still doesn't answer my question. Why did you pretend to be Death Eaters? What was the purpose of kidnapping me?"

"Do you know exactly what was going to happen tonight?" Tonks asked, avoiding the question. "Did you understand your role?"

Ginny nodded slowly, unsure of where the conversation was headed. "I was told that we were going to release a spirit, and that the spirit would help us fight against Voldemort."

"Yes," Tonks urged, "and do you know why you were chosen?"

"They needed-" Ginny started, then hesitated, embarrassed to say the words out loud.

Lucius continued for her. "They needed a girl that was pure of body and mind but had been tainted by evil. After the incident with Tom Riddle's diary-"

"The diary that _you_ gave to me," Ginny added angrily.

"After the incident," Lucius continued, ignoring her accusation, "you were a perfect candidate for the job."

"So?" Ginny challenged. "All I had to do was recite a spell. What's so bad about that?"

"The spell was just the beginning. You, Miss Weasley, were to be presented to the spirit as a sacrifice."

Ginny's stomach clenched in fright at his words. "But, no, that's not possible. Harry-"

"Mr. Potter was in the middle of an important task when he heard about what was going to happen. He rushed to the Headquarters of the Phoenix, but it was too late to convince the heads of the Order that the upcoming task was far too dangerous," Lucius explained. "So, like a fool, he decided that he would stay to help you."

Ginny shook her head wordlessly, too horrified to speak.

Lucius Malfoy gazed straight into her eyes. "Once you evoked the spirit, it would have devoured your soul. You would have been killed, or worse. And when Potter tried to save you, there's a great chance that he would have been killed himself."

Ginny felt a lump in her throat and tears pricking her eyes. How was this possible? "So… you.."

"Essentially, Miss Weasley, we saved your life."

"But I don't understand!" she exclaimed, voice full of grief. "The Order couldn't have known-"

"They knew perfectly well," Tonks said, sounding disgusted. "They were willing to sacrifice you in order to gain control of the spirit."

"My parents," Ginny asked hoarsely, "my family?"

"They had no idea," Tonks assured her.

Ginny sighed. That, at least, was something.

"Thank god we were able to stop them," Lucius said fervently.

Ginny looked at him curiously. "I didn't think you cared so much about my life," she said sardonically.

Lucius smirked. "I wasn't referring to you. If the Order had succeeded in awakening that creature, we would all be doomed. The spirit they were calling forth is one of the darkest things ever known. The spell they were going to use was the darkest of the Dark Arts. Even the Dark Lord feared it too much to use it."

"If it was so evil, then why did the Order decide to use it?" Ginny asked, bewildered.

"Bravery," Lucius spat out. "You foolish Gryffindors believe you can conquer anything. But that arrogance almost cost us all our lives. If the spirit had been freed, there is a good chance that it would have killed the Dark Lord. But once Voldemort was gone, we would be faced with something that was far worse."

Ginny shuddered. It was impossible to imagine something worse than Voldemort, but the slight tremor in Malfoy's voice convinced her that he was telling the truth.

"You are here, Miss Weasley," Lucius spoke, "because we have a proposition for you."

"And what is that?" Ginny asked warily.

"We want you to join the Velamentum," Tonks said.

Ginny was silent for a long time. She had suspected that this was her real purpose in being here, but she was nowhere near close to making a decision. Despite strong suspicions, she believed what Tonks and Lucius had told her. But did she really want to be part of this manipulative, not quite good, order?

"You do want to fight Voldemort, don't you?" Lucius asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Of course I do!" Ginny answered angrily.

"Well then it is only logical for you to join us. You will do much more good here than with the Order of the Phoenix."

After a silent moment, Ginny answered. "Alright. I think… I want to do it."

"Before you agree," Tonks said hastily, "there's a condition."

"What?" Ginny asked suspiciously.

Tonks tried to speak, but her mouth seemed incapable of forming the words. So Lucius spoke for her. "If you join the Velamentum, false evidence will be made to show your death. If you become one of us, everyone on the outside will believe you have been killed by Death Eaters."

Ginny felt her lip trembling, but bit on it to keep from crying. "No," she whispered. "I can't. How on earth can I do that? What about my family? Could I tell them?"

Tonks shook her head sadly. "No. They have to think you're dead. Only members of the Velamentum, and at that, only some members of the Velamentum, will know that you're alive."

Ginny took a trembling breath. "What about Harry?" she asked. "And Ron, and Hermione? They could know, right?"

Tonks bit her lip. "No," she said finally. "They can't know either."

"But why not?!" Ginny burst out. "They're part of the Velamentum, aren't they?"

"It is implicit that they do not know," Lucius answered evasively.

"But _why_?" Ginny asked once more, frustrated by the lack of answers.

"We can't tell you," Tonks told Ginny.

"Yeah?" Ginny asked angrily, "says who?"

"Our superior," Tonks answered.

"And who is that?" Ginny questioned.

"The head of the Velamentum," Lucius stated.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Oh, Merlin! I'd like a _name_, please!" Lucius and Tonks exchanged glances. Ginny snorted. "Oh, let me guess. You can't tell me that either?"

"Well," Tonks said slowly, "Yes. But not for the reason you think. We can't tell you because we don't know who the head of the Velamentum is either."

Ginny gaped at them. "Are you kidding? How can you put all your trust in someone you don't even know?! For all you know, it could be Voldemort!"

Lucius chuckled. "Oh, yes, I'm positive that The Dark Lord is leading a rebellion against himself." He rolled his eyes.

"Ginny, we have plenty of reason to trust this person," Tonks assured her. "We just can't tell you the specifics of it. You just have to trust us."

Ginny was silent for a long time. "I would really be helping if I joined?" she asked.

"Yes," Tonks said fervently. "You would."

After another interminable silence, Ginny spoke. "Fine," she said, looking at the floor. "I'll do it." Tonks grinned, and Lucius gave a soft sigh of relief. Obviously, it was important to them that Ginny be on their side. Ginny swore to herself that eventually, she'd find out why. "So what's my first job going to be?" she asked curiously.

"You are going to be sent on an undercover mission abroad," Lucius answered.

"Alone?"

"No, no. You'll have a partner. Ah, and there he is."

Ginny watched in horrified shock as he walked in, as smug and arrogant as usual. "You wanted to see me, Father?" Draco Malfoy asked.

Lucius smiled wickedly. "Oh, yes. Draco," he said, gesturing to Ginny, "meet your new partner." Looking at Ginny, Draco's eyes widened in horror. Ginny stared back at him in disgust. Draco turned to his father. "You must be joking."


	3. Partners?

Lucius heard a high-pitched scream from somewhere upstairs, followed by a dull thud. After a second, an obvious argument broke out. He could hear the muffled voices of the Weasley girl and his son quickly getting louder and angrier. It was impossible to discern what they were saying, or more accurately, yelling. But Weasley seemed extremely fired up about something.

Wonderful, Lucius thought to himself. The girl had been alone for less than an hour and had already managed to get upset about something. It was that damned Weasley temper. They simply couldn't control themselves. How unfortunate that Weasley's involvement was necessary.

Suddenly, there was a loud thump as something solid hit something else solid. This was followed by an indignant male cry. "Well that certainly didn't sound good," Lucius muttered to himself. Tonks would handle it, he reassured himself. Then with a lurch he remembered that Tonks had left to give the word that Weasley had joined them.

She had teased him, asking if he could handle the two teenagers on his own. He had sneered, but now he wondered whether it wouldn't have been wiser for him to leave instead of Tonks. Oh well, there was no use worrying now.

Upstairs, Weasley gave an ear-shattering screech. Lucius sighed heavily. Perfect. Now he'd have to leave his comfortable seat to play babysitter to two almost-grown, immature idiots. Maybe he didn't have to… but no, he did. He was sure that he would get in trouble if somehow, Ginny Weasley was killed on his watch. Although he wouldn't be able to blame Draco if that occurred. The girl was terribly irritating. Heaving another sigh, Lucius rose from his chair and glided out of the peaceful room toward the eye of the storm.

Walking along an ornate corridor, Lucius admired his surroundings. Tonks had told him how shabby the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix was. The Velamentum would never suffer something as terrible as bad furnishings. The manor where this elite order held residence was anything but shabby. Everything was beautifully, and expensively, decorated. Magic kept the mansion well-hidden and expanded it to immense proportions. There were other members of the Order present in the manor, but they were all in their own rooms, occupied with their own business.

Following the noise, Lucius walked up a staircase and toward the room where Weasley was staying. The door was shut, but the terrible sounds of the argument were easily heard.

Lucius opened the door… and blinked, sure he was hallucinating. Then, he blinked once more for good measure. But the sight before him did not alter. A wet-headed Ginny was inside, wearing only a fluffy bath robe. She was firmly pulling at a white, high-heeled shoe. Draco, thankfully in his wizard robes, held the other end of the shoe. He seemed quite determined to pull it from Ginny's grasp. They were hurling insults at each other using some of the most colorful profanity Lucius had ever heard. The fact that some of their words shocked him was quite impressive.

Wanting to make his presence known, Lucius took a few steps forward and cleared his throat. Neither occupant of the room noticed. Getting impatient, Lucius took out his wand and muttered a spell. Ginny and Draco shot away from each other to opposite sides of the room. The shoe did a few flips in the air before Lucius strode forward and caught it in his hand. He studied it carefully. It seemed completely ordinary. He saw nothing in the shoe that merited the passionate argument he had witnessed.

He glanced at Draco, then at Ginny. They were both staring at him in surprise with their mouths clamped tightly shut. Though of course the silence was due to Lucius's spell-casting. He highly doubted that they would have shut up on their own.

Lucius raised one eyebrow. "I want an explanation," he commanded, gesturing with the shoe. He flicked his wand, returning speech to the two teenagers. Simultaneously, they started yelling at Lucius at the tops of their lungs. With slightly widened eyes, Lucius silenced them once more. He hadn't understood a single word.

He gazed at the two sternly. "I am going to try that again. When I do, you will _not_ start screeching like banshees. Understood?"

The spell, which kept them from walking, did allow them to nod curtly.

"Good," he said softly, and undid the spell.

He turned to Ginny. "Miss Weasley, would you care to explain?"

"Why are you asking her?" Draco cried indignantly.

Ginny gave Draco a sneer worthy of a Malfoy's. "Pathetic, isn't it, Malfoy? Your own dad knows you can't be trusted."

"Oh shut up, you great, stupid bit-"

Lucius cut off Draco's swearing and Ginny's angry yell with a lazy flick of his wand. He rolled his eyes. These two were impossible. "Let's try this, shall we?" he asked, turning to his son. He removed the spell from him, but left Ginny mute.

"Now Draco, I want to know why you were trying to steal what appears to be Miss Weasley's shoe." He gave the shoe another quick glance, as if afraid that it may have transformed into something dangerous.

"Because she was trying to kill me with it," Draco answered dramatically.

Lucius blinked. "With a shoe," he stated dryly.

"Yes," Draco said sullenly.

Lucius turned to Ginny, whose eyes were nearly bugging out with anger. "Ah, I believe Miss Weasley has something to add." He swished his wand and Ginny opened her mouth.

"That's a convenient way of putting it, Malfoy," she hissed. "I admit, I was using the shoe as a… projectile device, but only because this pervert walked on in me while I was naked!" she squeaked, quivering with righteous indignation.

"Like I said a hundred times, woman, it was an accident!" bellowed Draco.

"You're lying!" Ginny scoffed.

Draco snorted. "Don't flatter yourself, Weasel. There is nothing about you that I'd care to see. Besides, this whole thing is your fault. You're the moron that left her door unlocked."

"Well excuse me for not paying attention to every minute detail!" shrieked Ginny. "In case you'd forgotten, I've been through a lot lately!"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Ah yes, of course. 'Poor me, I can't believe the four-eyed freak I'm so desperately in love with was lying to me!'"

Giving an angry squeal, Ginny launched herself at Draco. Lucius stopped her in time with his wand.

"That's it!" he snapped. "Draco, stop antagonizing her. Just leave."

After sneering at Ginny one more time, Draco stalked out of the room.

"And you," Lucius said, turning to Ginny angrily. "Take a nap! And when you wake up, make sure you have a better hold on that blasted temper of yours." He released Ginny from the spell and walked out of the room, slamming the door on his way out.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I need a drink," he muttered.

A few hours later, Tonks returned to the manor to find Malfoy Senior in a terrible state. He was collapsed on a leather couch, a half-empty bottle of brandy in one hand and his wand tightly grasped in the other. His usually meticulous hair was unkempt and his robes were ruffled. His eyes were blood-shot and he winced slightly at every noise she made.

"Lucius, what happened?" Tonks asked, concerned. "Were you attacked?"

"I-they- not a good idea…" He seemed incapable of forming coherent speech.

"Slimy ferret!" was suddenly heard from the direction of the kitchen. An angry retort by Draco followed.

Tonks stared at Lucius in alarm as he gave a great moan. He slid down the couch, holding a shaking hand to his face. "Not again," he whimpered.

After much difficulty, Tonks got out enough information from Lucius to understand the situation fairly well. "So the nap didn't help cool her temper?" she questioned.

Lucius shook his head fervently. "Not at all! If anything, regaining her strength merely gave her extra energy to abuse Draco."

Tonks raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Abuse him? Really Lucius, I think you might be exaggerating slightly. Draco doesn't seem the type to be abused."

"Oh, don't get me wrong, Draco is hardly innocent in all this. He's doing as much damage as she. It's truly an amazing sight to behold, Nymphadora. They bring out the absolute worst in each other."

"So you've been trying to keep them away from each other all this time?"

He gave a curt nod. "An impossible task, I assure you. Let's see, there was the incident with the kitchen knives Draco hexed. Then the spaghetti that Weasley put a spell on. The damn thing almost choked Draco. And later, the two imbeciles ended up launching couch cushions at each other with their wands. They knocked an original Van Gogh into the fireplace, I'll have you know," Lucius said angrily, as if it was Tonks' fault that the two were unruly.

Tonks tried and failed to hide a smile at Lucius's sullen expression.

"It isn't funny!" exclaimed Lucius, noticing her amused face. "I feared for my life. Lord Voldemort is nothing compared with these two terrors. If we want to get rid of him, we should just have him babysit them for a day. He'd commit suicide, I'd wager."

Tonks laughed outright. "I'll talk to them, Lucius. You can rest. You've had a long, hard day," she soothed, with just the slightest tinge of sarcasm in her voice.

Lucius scowled, but nodded, too relieved to comment.

He watched as Tonks walked out of the room to the kitchen. The sounds of arguing were silenced and everything was quiet for a very long time. Then, when Lucius was starting to wonder if perhaps Tonks had killed Draco and Ginny, the two subjects in question walked into the room, followed closely by Tonks.

Draco and Ginny stood facing Lucius, looking sheepish and slightly ashamed. They looked quickly at Tonks, who nodded at them. Ginny glared at Draco, obviously urging him to go first. After clearing his throat, Draco looked straight at his father.

"I'm terribly sorry for my behavior, Father. It was childish and inexcusable. I won't repeat any of these actions."

Lucius gaped at his son with a slightly open mouth, then, realizing how foolish he looked, snapped it shut. "I should hope you're sorry," he said coolly. "And you most certainly will _not_ repeat any of those actions if you know what's good for you."

Draco nodded solemnly, then stared pointedly at Ginny, giving her the cue to begin talking.

She shuffled her feet a bit and began speaking. "Mr. Malfoy, I'm really sorry. I know I acted like an idiot. I shouldn't have gotten so mad and I'm sorry that you had to keep breaking up our fights. I promise I'll do better from now on."

Better prepared this time, Lucius maintained an indifferent demeanor. "I accept your apology, Miss Weasley. Just see that it doesn't happen again."

Ginny assured him that it wouldn't.

"It's late," Tonks said. "You two should go to bed. You'll need your rest tomorrow."

The teenagers nodded, said good night, and left.

After they were gone, Lucius dropped his calm façade. "How the hell did you do that? Those two were like rabid dogs before! Did you put a spell on them?" he asked suspiciously.

"Of course not!"Tonks retorted indignantly.

"Then what did you do?"

Tonks just smiled mysteriously. "Good night, Lucius."

"Do you have everything packed?" Tonks asked Ginny anxiously.

Ginny just rolled her eyes. "Considering that all I had to pack was a toothbrush and some tooth paste, I'm pretty sure I did."

Tonks laughed nervously. "Oh that's right. I forgot."

"Why exactly am I not packing anything again?"

"Everything you need will be provided for you once you reach your destination," Lucius answered.

"And of course, I can't know where my destination is," Ginny added wearily.

"Yeah, sorry about that, Gin," Tonks apologized.

"I understand why Weasley isn't being given our future location. She's new and obviously can't be trusted," Draco said.

Ginny gave him a dark look but otherwise ignored the comment.

"But," he continued, "why am I being kept in the dark?"

"It's simply safer that way," Lucius explained. "In case you somehow get intercepted. You won't be able to give away that information."

"So that's why we don't know the specifics of our assignment?" Ginny asked.

"That's why," Tonks agreed.

"And that's why we're going by car to another location before we Floo to our final destination? So they can't track us down to this house?" Draco questioned.

Lucius nodded in affirmation. "Exactly."

Draco looked at Ginny sullenly. "Well Weasley, let's get this nightmare started."

Ginny nodded grimly, as if she was facing her death.

Hours later, two exhausted travelers tumbled, one after the other, out of a large fireplace, spraying soot on the lush carpet that covered the floor.

Ginny and Draco stood up and brushed themselves off. They both jumped in fright when a silky voice spoke from amidst the shadows.

"Good day Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Weasley," Severus Snape greeted his two shocked guests.


End file.
